


More Than Bargained For

by Panzerknacker, Teacakies



Category: Disney - Fandom, DuckTales, The Beagle Boys - Fandom
Genre: AU, AU Shipping, F/M, Family, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2018-10-23 13:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10719825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panzerknacker/pseuds/Panzerknacker, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teacakies/pseuds/Teacakies
Summary: The Beagle Babes have just escaped prison and are hiding out with their longtime rivals, the Beagle Boys. Tensions are high, and when the girls find out about the upcoming jewelry heist the boys have planned, they want in!





	1. Guests

**Author's Note:**

> Although the Beagle Babes and Beagle Boys are cousins in canon, this fanfic is meant to take place in an alternative universe where the Beagle Babes are just a rival criminal gang, so there's no relation between the two groups. Ma Beagle and the Beagle Babe's mother were close friends rather than sisters, and they raised their children together, thus the premise for this story.
> 
> Original title was "First we Steal Their Hearts".

The young patrol officer was just making his evening rounds around the block when he heard that sultry, alluring voice purring out from behind the prison bars.

He knew better than to get involved with the prisoners, especially these three- the Beagle Babes. But there was just something about that voice and bit of leg slipping through the steel that intrigued him so.

Her voice spoke again, sensual and breathy as she pressed against the iron.

“Excuse me officer, do ya think ya could help a lady out?”

It wasn’t long after that the klaxon started to scream its warning, echoing off the walls of the penitentiary: “The Beagle Babes have escaped!”

And three shadows bolted over the grounds and into the woods, where the searchlights finally lost sight of them.

 

 "Good show, girls," panted Babydoll in her raspy voice, looking at her sisters with approval as they took a much-needed break for some air. "That poor chump had no idea what was comin'!"

Babydoll was the youngest of the Beagle Babes, a spunky little spitfire with her light brown hair drawn into corkscrew curls.

"Rookie," Bouffant, the eldest, grinned, gathering her huge red beehive updo in her hands and stroking the kinks out of it. Although she was typically the leader of the threesome, the idea had been Babydoll's, not hers; but the strongwilled Beagle Babe had been excited to test her skill all the same. Overpowering men physically always gave her a thrill.

"You'd think he'd never seen a bit of skin before." Her eyes went to the middle sister, Boom-Boom, and she winked.

The bubbly, wavy-haired blonde giggled, not altogether sure how they'd pulled it off so easily herself. All it had taken was a jiggle of her chest, a flutter of her eyelashes.

 

"But what do we do now?" Boom-Boom asked, looking around at the dense forest surrounding them. It was dark and cold, and a sprinkle of snow was starting to frost the treetops. They couldn't linger in this dump for long- it couldn’t be good for the complexion.

"Thing is, the coppers will be lookin' for us," Babydoll said, putting her gloved finger to her chin thoughtfully. "We can't just head back home. They'll be settin’ an ambush for us, no doubt about it." She turned to Bouffant. "So what's the plan?"

Bouffant thought for a moment, and then a smile spread across her face. "I know _just_ the place!"

 

xxx

 

Sometime later, the girls found themselves in a rural lodge on the edge of the forest.

With only one car left in the lot and the snow coming down harder, there wasn't much room for decision-making. Babydoll smashed the window with a well-placed kick and Bouffant wriggled a pin from her hair, expertly popping open the door and then starting the motor.

 

"So how far is this hideout you’re thinkin’ of?" Boom-Boom asked, sitting shotgun as Bouffant stepped on the gas and the three Beagle Babes sped off into the white night.

"Oh, not too far," Bouffant said, smiling and flooring the car's pedal. _It felt so good to be free again, driving out on the open road!_

 In the backseat, Babydoll rolled down the window and took a deep breath of the freezing air racing past. "Whoohooo!" she shouted, giddy on the adrenaline of their escape. Nothing could possibly go wrong now!

 

xxx

 

"Here?! Why'd you drive us out _here?"_ yelled Babydoll as the car sputtered to a stop.

The Beagle Babes got out of the car and looked around at the forested valley and isolated log cabin before them.

"It was the first place I could think of," Bouffant defended herself. "Besides, no way the cops will find us out here."

"It looks like the place is abandoned," Boom-Boom noted, peering into a window from the porch. "I don't see anyone home..."

Babydoll wrenched the door open and walked into the old wood cabin, eyeing it corner to corner with disgust.

"Ech!" she gagged. "Looks like this place hasn't been cleaned in about ten years." Her sisters followed her in, looking around the old place that they used to spend their summers as children. It really hadn't changed.

 

"Hmm," Bouffant said, opening up the fridge, "There's some food in here. But who knows how old it is." She noticed a coffeepot with some leftover cold coffee and quickly brought it to the mustard-stained microwave to heat it up.

"We might as well make ourselves at home, girls! We oughta brace ourselves for the storm that's coming."

Boom-Boom nodded, rubbing her arms in the chill and sitting down at the table with a tired yawn.

Babydoll groaned. "Fine. But don't expect me to like it!"

 

xxx

 

Some hours later into the night, another car came chugging down the driveway to Ma Beagle's old cabin. Bankjob, Babyface, and Bugle were dead on their feet, downtrodden and exhausted after another failed bank robbery on the outskirts of town.

Bankjob, a hulking and muscular Beagle Boy, and also the eldest of the brothers, had his eyes narrowed and chiseled jaw set tight as the car bumped down the rocky drive. He wasn't in the mood to talk.

"H-hey, Bankjob," Babyface spoke up timidly, "Things coulda gone worse, y'know?" The little Beagle Boy was often knocked for his immaturity (and by the way he dressed, specifically due to his childhood propeller hat, it was no wonder), but in spite of that, he was a full-fledged adult, and tried his best to prove it.

Babyface put his hands on his brother's seat, trying to brighten him up. "At least we escaped this time!"

Bankjob just made a loud grunt.

"Don't worry about it, Babyface," Bugle turned around, lifting his characteristic shades and reassuring the young Beagle. "Man's just being dramatic." Not much fazed the cool and aloof beatnik Beagle, at least in terms of his brothers’ infantile behavior.

"What the-!"

Bankjob slammed on the breaks several yards from the house, eyes widening as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Do you guys see that car there?" He pointed at the vehicle silhouette lit up by the light of the kitchen.

Bugle and Babyface both gasped softly.

"Could be the cops!" Bankjob whispered, grabbing his gun from his side and stepping out of the car into the snow.

"Oh, man," Bugle groaned as the brothers quietly approached the house. This was _not_ good.

Bankjob crept to the doorstep, with Babyface nervously clinging to his side.

"HA!" Bankjob leapt in and raised his gun to shoot.

 

"AAAAAHHH!" The three Beagle Babes shrieked.

Babydoll grabbed her gun and pointed it right back at Bankjob, hand on the trigger.

Bankjob lowered his piece, a look of shock on his face. "Bouffant?”

 

The redhaired Beagle Babe, breathing hard and clutching her chest, flashed him a grin. "Aw, Bank. How nice. Long time no see."

"Wh-what are you doing here?!" he sputtered.

Bouffant chuckled. "You're so cute when you're upset."

"I'm not upset, I'm-!" Bankjob turned to Babydoll. "Would ya put that down? It's just us!"

"All the more reason to shoot," Babydoll growled, slowly lowering the revolver.

 

"Bankjob, what's goin' on?" Babyface interjected, coming in behind him cautiously.

"We've got some unexpected company, Babyface," Bugle said from Bankjob's other side. He had a funny smile on his face as he looked at the girls.

Shivering a little in the cold, Babyface looked the trio of girls up and down.

It took a moment, but then recognition flooded across his face.

 

"H-how did you--" He closed his eyes and let out a soft sneeze.

"Oh, you three must be freezing!" Boom-Boom exclaimed, standing up from her chair. "Let me make you all something warm to drink!"

"No thanks," grunted Bankjob, slamming the door.

 

Boom-Boom turned to the others. "How about you two?"

 "I'm down," grinned Bugle, strutting in and copping a seat next to Babydoll.

"Yeah! That sounds real good right now!" Babyface grinned, all his hesitation fading away and hurrying over. "Cocoa is my favorite-!"

"Hey!" Bankjob barked, making his two brothers jump. He gave a hard, lingering look at the girls, and then at his brothers. "We have an early start tomorrow. We oughta get to bed."

 

Bouffant rested her head on her hands, studying him with a smirk. "Sorry, Bank, but you won't be sleepin' in yer cozy beds tonight."

The oldest Beagle Boy stared. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

 

Babydoll let out a harsh bray of laughter. "It means you three are snoozin' on the couch, is what it means!"

"Honestly, you three," Bouffant snickered. "Don't you have any consideration for us fair ladies?"

"I-I-" Bankjob looked at Bugle and Babyface for help, but the two just returned his dumbfounded expression.

 

“Nighty-night,” said Bouffant, and the girls rose to their feet and pushed past Bankjob, hustling down the hall and into the far bedroom.

Boom-Boom looked over the doorframe and waved as she giggled.

Then the door slammed shut.

"Ladies," growled Bankjob, "Ladies my foot!"

 


	2. Dawn

The eldest Beagle Boy woke as the faintest light of dawn crept through a shuttered window, moving its way across the couch.

"Mmm…" Something smelled good. Ma? Was Ma makin' breakfast?

Bankjob blinked his eyes blearily and sat up and stretched, yawning a wide yawn. Maybe last night had all just been a bad dream…

"Mornin', handsome," a voice called.

Bankjob jumped and slowly looked back over his shoulder.

There was Bouffant, sitting at the table, sipping a big cup of coffee and chomping on some toast, watching him with a huge grin on her face. Beside her, Boom-Boom was heating something on the stovetop.

_Dammit!_

"Heh." Bouffant's eyes narrowed a little, and Bankjob realized with sudden horror that he was standing up in nothing more than his underwear. He turned a deep red and grabbed a pillow to cover himself as she arched an eyebrow.

At the window, Bugle was already awake and taking a drag from his cigarette. He heaved a sigh. "We might wanna consider the forecast, Beej. Looks like it'll be buckets of ice all day and night."

Bankjob scowled as he pulled on his pants. "So what? We gonna let a little flurry stop us?" Why did things like this always have the worst timing?

Bugle gave him a stern look as he lowered his glasses. "Well, I'm not really up for a suicide mission today, _man_."

"You got somewhere to be, Bank?" Bouffant asked, her curiosity piqued.

Grunt.

"Hey, where's Babyface?" Boom-Boom asked, turning off the stovetop and stirring something into the hot mug she was carrying. The blonde Beagle had always been an early riser; there was just something appealing about the sunrise and being able to hear her own thoughts untainted by the arguing of her two sisters.

Bugle tipped his head back towards the couch. "He's not so good with mornings."

Boom-Boom tiptoed over to the other side of the couch, holding the mug tight in her hand. Babyface was nestled deep into the couch, shivering a little but sleeping deeply. A frizzy little blanket was lying on the hardwood floor.

Boom-Boom quietly placed the drink on the side table and leaned down, grabbing the blanket to cover him back up. She smiled slightly, watching him sleep for a minute. He looked so content, adorable even. She felt a twinge of sympathy for his situation-

"Oof!"

Boom-Boom cried, suddenly tripping over the blanket draping between her legs and falling hard across the arm of the couch.

Babyface leapt awake with his legs thrashing in the air, looking around in terror. "Look out, it's the coppers!"

Boom-Boom bit her lip and stood up, trying to hide the laugh bursting to come out. "I didn't mean to wake you up," she said, handing him his blanket.

Babyface shook his head and sat up in the light. "Um, no... I wasn't sleepin'!"

Boom-Boom smiled. "That's funny. It looked like you were."

"Ahahaha!" At the table, Bouffant was crowing with laughter. "Nice fall, Boom-Boom! Always love the morning entertainment!" She banged her fist on the table.

Boom-Boom's cheeks flushed a little. "Um. I made you cocoa," she said, trying to ignore her sister and gesturing to the steaming mug on the side table. "Since ya mentioned you liked it so much last night...My way of sayin' thanks for lettin' us stay."

Babyface's ears perked up in interest, and he turned around to pick it up for a long, hearty sip.

"Ohhh." His face brightened. "Hey, this is really good!"

Boom-Boom beamed, pleased with his reaction.

"Way better than that coffee stuff Bugle likes," Babyface continued, downing more of the drink. "I bet he gets it from that gross all-natural place."

At the window, Bugle scoffed.

"Ah, well, it's not so bad if you douse it with sugar and syrup..." Boom-Boom said, giggling at his fervor. "Like that place, StarDucks. Ooh, do they make such a good Vanilla Frappacino-!"

"More like a _crappacino_ ," Babydoll scowled as she strut into the room, her curly ringlets dripping wet. Despite her cute pastel exterior, Babydoll liked it dark, hard, and bitter, a bit of a reflection on herself.

Bugle smiled a little. "A lady after my own heart."

The Beagle Babe ignored him and she slammed into one of the chairs, glaring out of the window.

She was clearly in a mood.

"This place is nasty as ever," she ranted. "Pretty sure you have a draft, too. It's freezing in here! Could ya start a fire, or _somethin_ '?"

Bankjob glared at her and slowly made his way to the corner where his boots and jacket were kept.

"And how are you guys keepin' busy? Haven't seen ya on the news lately." Babydoll smiled snidely.

"Yeah, well, good things come to those who wait," Bugle replied, taking her sarcasm in stride.

Bouffant's eyes widened. "Oh? You all plannin' something?" She playfully winked at Bankjob as he stuffed himself into his winter jacket and snow boots. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! We're planning somethin' _big!_ " Babyface burst out, eager to be a part of the conversation. "That new jewelry emporium on the outside of town-"

"Hey!" Bankjob snapped, his furious face shutting his little brother up tight.

Bouffant and Babydoll exchanged interested looks.

"That true, Bank?" Bouffant purred. "Why don'tcha give us the scoop?"

Bankjob just growled and he stomped to the door.

"I'm...gonna gather some firewood. For tha storm." There was a rush of cold wind, and the hulking Beagle disappeared into the morning fog. BANG! The door slammed behind him.

Babyface looked down, feeling stupid. He always messed up like this. And he always made Bankjob angry. He and his big mouth!

"Ow!" In his absentmindedness, the little Beagle splashed some scalding cocoa onto his lap.

"Oh, hey!" Boom-Boom said, looking concerned. "Be careful, I might have made it a little too hot-" She reached out to help steady his hand.

He looked up at her, blowing softly on his drink. He didn't get why she was being so nice to him...

"Um, I should go," he said, softer than he meant to, standing up.

Boom-Boom cocked her head.

"Oh, I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok, I should...um, go and help Bankjob," Babyface replied, feeling oddly frustrated as her eyes looked over him.

Boom-Boom watched him go, wondering just what she'd done wrong.

Babydoll turned to her two sisters. "Come on, let's blow this joint."


	3. Tension

As he trudged through the snow after his big brother, Babyface could feel a lingering heat in his cheeks. Stupid cold…that was it. Stupid snow. There was already several inches of the stuff, and it was coming down hard now.

Bankjob was hauling a stack of logs over his shoulder, muttering darkly to himself. “Draft…fire…I’ll show you…”

"Let me help you out, Bankjob!" the tubby little Beagle yelled, scampering up. He needed to get back on his brother's good side, fast.

"Well, one thing's obvious, we can't do the job in this foul weather," Bankjob said bitterly, ignoring the younger Beagle's offers to help. "And so  _they_  won't be leavin' anytime soon. Not 'til this damn storm subsides."

Babyface looked up at his brother thoughtfully. "I don't think they're so bad."

Bankjob rolled his eyes. "A 'course you don't." He stopped in his tracks and looked back down at his brother. "Look, Babyface. Things might've been all hunky-dory a long time ago, but these dames lie, they cheat, and they pretend to…" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "Forget it. They're just bad people."

"Isn't that a good trait in our family?" Babyface pondered.

"Just don't listen to a word they say," Bankjob said. "She'll make you miserable."

Babyface cocked his head. " _She_?" He looked hard at his brother. "Do you mean...Bouffant?" Bankjob did seem especially sensitive towards her.

"Nevermind!" Bankjob's ears folded back. "What do ya think you're doin' out here, anyway, runt! I'll be scraping you off the bottom of my snowshoes if ya don't watch it!"

xxx

 

“Drat!” growled Babydoll as the car sputtered and choked. “Drat, drat, drat!”

“Looks like the car won’t start,” Boom-Boom said, leaning forward worriedly.

“Nice observation!” Babydoll snapped back at her. With a frustrated groan, she threw herself back into the seat and crossed her arms.

“Well, the roads are probably too dangerous, anyways,” Bouffant tried to mediate. “We wouldn’t get very far, Babydoll.”

“Anywhere is better than  _here_! It’s a total waste of time!” Babydoll whined, kicking the dashboard with her high-heeled shoes and climbing out of the car. "And now we're  _stuck here!_ " Babydoll slammed the door. “Screw this!”

 

Babyface and Bankjob were making their way back to the cabin when they heard raised voices and shouting.

“What the-?” Bankjob quickened his pace. The two Beagles rounded the corner just in time to see Babydoll trying to weasel her way into Bankjob’s car with one of Bouffant’s hairpins, her two sisters standing back and watching.

“Then we’ll just have to take  _theirs!”_ She said, slamming open the front door triumphantly.

“HEY!” Bankjob barked, dropping all the tinder on the ground in shock. “Git away from there!” The girls all turned.

Babyface took a step back at those angry, accusing eyes.  _You can’t trust them._

“Uh, it was all Boom-Boom’s idea!" Babydoll said, putting her hands up in a automatic reaction. She glared at her blonde sister. “Great thinkin’, ya big ditz!”

Boom-Boom’s eyes fell in shame. “Gee, I’m sorry.”

“Tsk, tsk,” tutted Bouffant. “Well, let’s let bygones be bygones, hmm, Bank?”

“Oh, gimme a break!” Bankjob snapped, taking a threatening step forward.

With high squeals, the girls all pelted back into the house and slammed the door shut right behind them. Right on their tail, Bankjob slammed into the door and banged his fists against it. “Do ya really think ya can keep me outta my own house?!”

The door opened a crack and Bugle’s face appeared, grinning broadly. “Having some trouble?”

“Save it,” Bankjob snarled, pushing past him. “Those girls are on such thin ice they might as well be swimmin’.” He turned to the Beagle Babes, who were sitting back at the table with innocent smiles on their faces. “You gals wanna freeze out there, be my guest!”

“Well, they’ve got moxie, that’s for sure,” Bugle replied, looking bemused.

Bouffant’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she watched Bankjob haul the rest of the firewood in. "Well, I wouldn't say this pitstop is a  _total_  waste of time.”

 

Babyface squirmed past his two older brothers and into the relieving warmth of the house, looking around.

“A’rite, Bugle, Babyface, grab some wanted posters and help me start a fire," Bankjob ordered, leaning over the stone hearth.

Babyface looked back to the table where Boom-Boom had been sitting, but the blonde Beagle Babe had disappeared.

Shrugging, Babyface grabbed some old dry sheets from the pile, and together he and Bugle fed the fire until it was roaring.

“How ‘bout some entertainment?” Bugle suggested as the group of Beagles gathered around the fire. He began snapping his fingers and began to recite his latest masterpiece. “Badada, bababebop a wop!”

Babydoll, warming herself in the glow of flame, rolled her eyes. This guy never ceased to be annoying. “Will ya cut that out?”

Bugle grinned, seemingly amused by her reaction. “I take it you don’t like music.”

“I like music,” Babydoll responded shortly, “And that ain’t it!”

Bankjob and Babyface looked at each other and exploded with laughter.

It was funny how a little warmth made a house felt more like a home.

And so the Beagles all but forgot about the worsening storm right outside their door.

 

xxx

 

"Um...hello? Anybody in here?"

Babyface looked into the bedroom timidly, seeking out the third Beagle Babe. “We got a fire goin’, if you wanna-“ He tapered off as he caught sight of Boom-Boom sitting on the bottom bunk, staring out the window with a far-off look.

He knocked gently on the doorframe, but she made no response. In the corner, the radio was quietly mumbling, interrupted by frequent bouts of static.

"Boom-Boom?” He stepped towards her, and she looked up, her eyes a little wet and red like she had been crying.

"Oh, hi." She sniffed. "Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in." She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, leaving behind a small trace of mascara. “I must look like a mess.” 

Babyface entered the room, watching her. 

"Why do you let them call you names?" he said after a moment of silence.

The scene back at the car had been gnawing away at his mind for the past hour.

She forced a smile and shrugged.

"Well, they're right, aren't they?"

"I don't think so!" Babyface said, surprised by her response. "I think..." He trailed off. “Well, it wasn’t even your idea to carjack Bankjob, was it? But you took the blame anyway.”

“What makes you say that?” Boom-Boom asked, her eyes widening.

Awkward about being put on the spot, Babyface looked away. This was gonna sound stupid. “Um. I dunno. You just don’t seem like that kinda person….to go and do that to us…”

Boom-Boom lowered her eyelids and gave him a sweet smile. “Thanks.”

"Well, I get yelled at a lot too," Babyface replied, looking back up at her.

Boom-Boom giggled softly. "I noticed." 

Babyface couldn’t help grinning himself. "Yeah...well, it's not  _always_ my fault. Bankjob says I'm a brat but a buncha times he's the one to mess up!"

"You're not," Boom-Boom said, looking at him kindly.

Babyface hesitated. "What?"

"You're not a brat. I think you're sweet."

There was a pause, and Babyface met her eyes.She'd always been so nice to him...she didn't seem like a bad person. Bankjob had to be wrong.

“Y’know…me and my sisters, we all look up to you guys,” Boom-Boom said. “We wish we could be half the crooks you guys are.”

It sounded a little silly to Babyface, but the admiration on her face still made him blush a little, and he looked away quickly, not sure what to say.

“Um, I forgot to thank you for that cocoa earlier.”

"Oh, of course!" Boom-Boom said, rubbing away the last traces of tears from her face. She cocked her head towards the radio. "You know, I just love to sit down with a hot cup and listen to the local news sometimes. Especially the police scanner. It always soothes me." She giggled. "I guess that's kind of dumb, huh?"

"Not that dumb," Babyface said, sitting down beside her. He mentally kicked himself for such a blunt response. Boom-Boom laughed, a genuinely cheerful laugh that made Babyface's stomach tingle.

A faint jingle for an advertisement emitted from the radio, and Boom-Boom closed her eyes and began to hum along. Perhaps without even noticing it, she stretched out her hand and ran it over his briefly.

Babyface looked up at her as she opened her eyes, drawn into them, and he felt himself getting shaky. His heart was beating loudly in his ears.

He didn't pride himself on being very mature, and his brothers might just be right when they called him a kid.But when he looked at her, he thought it might be nice...to try growing up a little.

"It was nice of you to hear me out," she said softly, looking at him with gratitude. She brought her hand over his forehead, and began to smooth out the curly, stray hairs on his head gently. She smiled. "You know, you always were so proud of that hat of yours. It's really special, isn't it?"

Babyface winced a little at the mention of his propeller hat. Sure, when he was little, he thought it was cool. And sure, he was still quite attached to it. But now that she brought it up...

"It's stupid," he said, feeling self-conscious. "I mean, I got it at a  _carnival..."_

Boom-Boom smiled at the idea, having never been to one herself. "Well, consider me jealous!" Then her smile widened. "Ohhh, my gosh," she giggled. "You're so cute when you're blushing!"

Babyface's eyes went wide as saucers. "I'm not blushing!" he said, louder than intended, as he tried to hide his face. "And... d-don't call me  _cute!_ " There was something about her saying those words that rather infuriated him, but at the same time, made his heart beat all the faster.

"Well, let me thank you," Boom-Boom laughed, and she grabbed her purse from the bed and after a moment of digging, presented him with a peppermint. "I hope ya like sweets."

Babyface reached out gingerly and took it, still shaking and perplexed by the entire incident.

"Th-thanks..."

Looking back over his shoulder, the young Beagle fled the room and slipped past Babydoll, desperately trying to cover the color in his cheeks.

Babydoll watched him leave, a look of confusion on her face. Then her lips curved into a sly smile.


	4. Schemes

"Alright, now let's have a rundown of the plan again," Bankjob said, huddling with his brothers at the kitchen table. It was now late in the afternoon, and he was itching to do some scheming.

It’d taken long enough for those darn girls to get outta his face.

" _Again_ , Bankjob?" Bugle said with mild annoyance. "We've gone over this, like, a thousand times. We know how it's goin' down."

 

Bankjob just glared and laid out the floor plans across the table, jabbing the exits one by one. "We need the review, what with bein' behind schedule two whole days! It's no wonder I'm so on edge! And on top of that, with all the damn holiday shopping frenzy, there might not even be anything to rob when we get there!”

 

"I think you're on edge about something else entirely," Bugle said dryly. The beatnik turned to look at Babyface.

The youngest Beagle was silent, looking completely distracted. Now that was off. Usually it was a chore to make him  _stop_  talking.

 

"Eh, Babyface?" prodded Bugle. Babyface jumped and started nodding vehemently in agreement.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're hiding something from us, Bank," Bugle continued. "And it's not just about the job, is it?"

 

"He got real mad when I mentioned Bouffant earlier!" Babyface piped up, coming out of his trance and grinning ear to ear.

Bankjob cracked his knuckles. "Can we not talk about this?"

 

"Well, I dunno, you seem to be thinking about it," Bugle pried.

"I said shut up!"

 

xxx

 

"So what do you girls think of that big shindig Bankjob is planning?" Bouffant asked as she ruffled her tall hairdo in the mirror. "Sounds interesting, hmmm?"

Babydoll, lying down on the bed, chuckled. "I’ve been wonderin’ about that too. Might give us some reason to stick around. I was plannin’ on layin’ low for a while, but lucky for us, that kid spilled the details!"

Boom-Boom entered the bedroom, her hair dripping wet and dressed in a pink nightie.

 

"Kid?" she asked. "You don't mean Babyface?"

"Whatever," Babydoll snorted, rolling her eyes.

 

Babydoll had always shielded herself with her toughness and sarcasm, which made it difficult for anyone, even her sisters, to get too close to her. But in the past few months since they’d been incarcerated, she’d become all the more bitter.

Bouffant and Boom-Boom thought it had much to do with the heartbreak of losing Webby, Scrooge McDuck’s adopted niece that they’d kidnapped and all come to love.

 

But the sisters knew better than to get curious. One wrong word was capable of turning Babydoll into a veritable fireball of rage- and when Babydoll wasn’t happy, nobody was happy.

After a moment, Babydoll got up and sidled up to Boom-Boom, eyes narrowing and smirking. "That kid is kinda flighty, ain't he?"

 

"I think he's nice," Boom-Boom said hesitantly. She didn't like the way this conversation was starting to sound.

Babydoll raised her eyebrows. "Well, ain't that cute. Since it's obvious he's  _crazy_  about you."

Boom-Boom stopped drying her blonde bob and looked up. "What?"

"Oh, Boom-Boom. Don't play dumb!" Babydoll chided.

"Honey, I don't think she's playing," Bouffant snickered, turning around and covering her wide grin in a teasing manner.

Boom-Boom looked between her two sisters, a rush of heat flooding into her cheeks. "But- but..."

"Oh, don't get all in a huff," squealed Babydoll. "You know, I'm thinkin' this might all just work out for us."

Boom-Boom gave her a questioning look. “What do you mean?"

"Oh, it'll be no problem!" Babydoll replied, squeezing her sister in a one-armed hug. "You just gotta do what you do best, Boom!"

"Just don’t split it wide open like the side of your dress!" Bouffant added with a sharp laugh.

 

“And we’ll need you, too, Bouffant,” Babydoll spun around and flashed a fierce grin at her eldest sister.

Bouffant stopped laughing abruptly. “Uh…wait. I’m not sure I follow.”

“Just that you and Bankjob have a lotta catching up to do, I’m bettin’,” Babydoll smirked. Boom-Boom and Bouffant looked at each other uncertainly.

"Now listen up, and I'll lay out the plan," Babydoll said, and the girls huddled up into a circle.

 

xxx

 

Babydoll had to congratulate herself. Although Bouffant was usually the leader of the trio, Babydoll had always been the best at improvisation and plans on the go. She couldn't see any way this would fail; not with all three of them working together.

 

"We'll steal their hearts...and then we'll steal their loot!"

But Babydoll's sisters weren't resting so easy, and they tossed and turned through the night.

 

Boom-Boom stared up at the ceiling. What Babydoll said was true, all three of them longed for a life of luxury...and to them, it was only obtainable through the most shady of means. They were criminals, after all. It was all they knew.

Boom-Boom snuggled deep in her blankets as she fantasized about her dream life: traveling to far-off France; diamond necklaces, and maybe spending her free time as a romance author, with her own summer home by the sea...

Automatically her mind’s eye wandered back to the countless summers the three sisters had spent down here at this very cabin. Their mother and Ma Beagle had been the best of friends, and partners in crime in their youth. It’d been so long ago, but the memories were strong.

And then there was Babyface... Even when they were kids, the blonde Beagle had had a soft spot for him. He'd been cheeky and somewhat immature, but really sweet, deep down... and always was so enthusiastic about everything, even when his older brothers left him out from their adventures.

Just like her, he'd been a bit of an outcast.

           

_"You can play with me," Boom-Boom had offered, sitting out in the tall grass on a sunny day and plucking daffodils._

_Babyface, his mouth wavering, turned around from watching his brothers swarm around the tire swing. He pulled his oversized propeller hat off and made a pained face. "Yeah, well...why would I wanna play with a girl?!"_

 

But eventually the youngest Beagle Boy had warmed up to her, and she'd grown to consider him something like a little brother.

Even when he played around and made fun of her-  _"Geez, Boom, you're such a sissy!"_ \- his jests has been lighthearted, and he'd always been so easy to talk to.

Especially about their plans for the future: the places they’d rob, the money they’d swipe, and the lessons they’d teach their siblings.

And then they stopped visiting, and they drifted apart.

But things were different now. He was different. He'd grown from that immature, almost bratty child he used to be.

He’d really listened to her...and made her felt like someone out there cared.

 

Boom-Boom had always been popular with men, and the number of times she’d been courted (or just plain catcalled) eluded her. But when Babydoll had spoken those words to her about Babyface, it had given her an odd twinge, a tug at her feelings she wasn't quite sure she could identify.

 

On the upper bunk, Bouffant was having just as much trouble getting to sleep.

Her sister’s words echoed menacingly in her head.

 "We's gonna get in on that jewel heist," Babydoll had said, looking around with shifty eyes. "Get what we can, then ditch the boys to take all the blame when the cops show up! If luck’s with us, we’ll leave no trail, and be living in luxury by Christmas in a few weeks!"

 

"And they’ll be in the clink while we're on easy street!" Bouffant had concurred, laughing.

But in all honesty, she felt conflicted.

Generally, she'd jump at the chance to engage in such an exciting robbery, and what's more, get her hands on some beautiful necklaces and earrings. Maybe she could finally buy the fur coats she'd always wanted, and get that penthouse on 5th Avenue overlooking the park...

But…

 

She still loved Bankjob. Sure, he’d left her without a word, and she was bitter. She wanted him to know how it'd hurt...

But somehow, the big lug still mattered to her. Heck if she knew why.

Bouffant had crushed hard on him even when they were kids. She'd followed him around like a lovestruck puppy, poking and prodding him, flirting in her own special way.

 

_“Y’know, you’d be really sweet if you smiled s’more,” Bouffant would tease, watching him with her head on her hands as he bossed around his brothers._

_“I dun wanna look sweet!” Bankjob had retorted, looking irritated. “A Beagle’s s’posed to be tough!”_

It'd taken a while for him to get the hint, and boy, did his brothers give him a rough time about his “little girlfriend”.

Bouffant fondly remembered the breezy summer night they shared their first kiss, two young teens high on the thrill of newfound love and excitement. The way she could see herself reflected in his eyes, and knew this would last forever.

And then he'd broken her heart.

 

What a fine mess she'd gotten into.

 

The two Beagle Babes watched the gentle rise and fall of Babydoll’s breathing on the bed across from them, completely untroubled and sleeping like a log. But for Bouffant and Boom-Boom, the night just wouldn’t seem to end.


	5. Tease

When morning broke, Bankjob was up early, hoping to start shoveling his car out of the mess. When he saw the storm had had no intentions of letting up, he instead he broke out into a string of loud curses, nearly snapping his shovel in half.

 "This is someone's idea of a sick joke!" He snarled, looking out at the frozen landscape. It had snowed an extra five or six inches during the night. At least.

 A vein in Bankjob's forehead began to throb. No way he was gonna be marooned here.

 Taking a deep breath, the oldest Beagle Boy zipped up his winter coat and stepped out into the deep snow, closing the door behind him.

 It almost went up to his knees, and he knew is Babyface were to go running off of the porch he'd probably be swallowed up alive.

 

At first he was pretty darn stiff. The snow was hard and he hadn't had a proper warmup, and his muscles soon were aching from the hauling and launching.

And it hadn't helped that he'd been sleepless, thinking about her all night long.

He let out a sigh, a warm cloud rising in the frigid early air, as he tried to get his mind off of it. Dammit, what good was dredging up the past?

 

It'd been a few years ago, a well-kept secret, but the day she'd shattered his heart still hurt like it was yesterday. And she clearly didn't want anything more to do with him.

Bankjob hurled a chunk of snow over his shoulder.

He was going faster, almost forgetting how much his muscles were screaming in pain. His mind was speeding.

 

_What did Bouncer have that he didn't have, anyway? What did he have that made her go into his arms that night? The same night she'd told him, "you're the best thing I've ever had."_

Gritting his teeth, Bankjob shook himself back to his senses. He was tough. That was all behind him.

 

xxx

Babyface was up not much later than Bankjob this morning, which was something of an oddity for the heavy sleeper.

The young Beagle Boy was doing his best to keep quiet, but his scrambling around the kitchen and poking through the cabinets resulted in enough banging to wake Bugle.

The beatnik let out a groan from the sofa and stretched, slowly getting up.

"What's all the hullabaloo, man?" he mumbled sleepily.

Babyface turned around, a nervous little smile on his face. "Oh, um, hi. Bugle."

 

He stepped down from the chair he was standing on, Ma's favorite old mixing bowl filled with some kind of batter in his hands.

Evidence of his prior kitchen activity was all over him; his shirt had stains of chocolate powder and his propeller hat was white with flour.

Bugle gave him a look. "What are you doin'?" He asked, shaking his head.

 

"Well...I just thought since...they made me that cocoa yesterday, I should...." the little Beagle looked embarrassed.

Bugle lifted his shades and grinned. "Oh, I see."

Babyface felt his blood go cold. "S-see what?"

Bugle just laughed and glanced at the leftover milk, butter, and mess of eggs on the table. "You really think you should be messing around in here? You're kind of a..." he paused, trying to find the right word. "A klutz."

 

"It's not like it can be that hard!" Babyface shot back, starting to beat the batter in the bowl with a whisk. Sure, he didn't have much experience other than watching Ma bake Huckleberry Hand Grenades, but he could do this! No sweat…

"Good morning," Boom-Boom's cheery voice rang out.

And then suddenly the tub went flying out of Babyface's hands, fumbling out of his hands and splattering onto the floor below, spraying his shirt with batter and chocolate goo.

 

Bugle couldn't hold back his laughter.

Boom-Boom covered her mouth to hold back her giggles too, and Babyface looked down at the mess and back up at her with a look of horror.

 

"You're up early," Boom-Boom said, trying her best to hide her smile.

“Uh, this isn't what it looks like,” Babyface gulped quietly. He looked away sheepishly, patting some of the dust off his shirt.

"A mess?" she replied teasingly, arching a brow. "Because that's exactly what it looks like."

Boom-Boom stepped towards him and dusted some of the cocoa powder off of his shoulders.

Bugle snickered, and silently took that cue to slink away to the next room.

 

"Eh...hehe..."

She was probably thinking he was a total idiot!

 

Boom-Boom paused for a moment, as if thinking hard. She glanced briefly back behind her and turned back to Babyface, her smile a little uncertain.

Standing here together like this, Boom-Boom loomed several inches above the younger beagle, the differences in their heights well pronounced.

Gently and slowly, she reached out and caressed his cheek.

The reaction was electric. Babyface's ears jolted up and he started to quiver, his face becoming a deeper red at the touch of her fingers on his face.

"It sure was kind of you to take us in," she said, but she couldn't look directly at him. Her gaze fell to the chocolate covered floor. "There's got to be someway I can thank you." She paused, then gave him a playful giggle.

"I know. How about a kiss?"

 

Babyface's heart practically stopped beating. He could feel his face go bright red in spite of himself, and he instantly became aware of how close the two of them were, inches apart.

"Wh-wha..." he stammered, looking at her in panic; then the little Beagle Boy took a step back and almost stumbled over the slippery mess he'd made.

 

"I-I was just kidding!" Boom-Boom said, laughing nervously as Babyface regained his footing. She couldn't deny one thing: he _was_ cute. Almost too cute.

"Oh...yeah. Of course," Babyface said, pulling a weakly grinning face. "I knew that." But the fierce flush in his cheeks told a different story. He turned away, a little humiliated.

"Umm. I guess I'd better clean this up, yeah?" And he quickly turned and went to grab a broom.

 

Boom-Boom, deciding it was a good time to flee the scene, headed for the bathroom. What she needed was a shower. She realized, now, that this plan of Babydoll's might not be so easy.

And as Boom-Boom mulled under the hot water, she realized another thing. That she might have really wanted to kiss him.

xxx

 

Bouffant took a few steps into the frigid air and snow after Bankjob, hating every despicable crunch and bite of freezing slush penetrating her sheepskin boots. She was shivering in nothing but her pyjamas, but was optimistic this wouldn't take any longer than a few minutes.

Luckily, the big guy had laid out some pretty big and deep footprints for her to trail; practically jumping from one to another to make up for his large stride. Well, you know what they say about guys with big feet...she snickered.

Bankjob, halfway through digging the rusty clunker from its frozen grave, must have sensed her behind him, because he stopped and took a deep, nervous breath.

 

"YES, Bouffant?"

Bouffant tightened her scarf around her neck. "Just sayin' hi."

"You and I both know that's never true," Bankjob grunted. "You always have somethin' to say. Usually that somethin' around the length of a presidential speech."

Bouffant pouted, wishing he wouldn't be like this. She crept closer. "I was missing you, is all."

Bankjob was quiet for a moment. At first, she thought he was just done talking to her, just like that. But then he spoke.

"Has it really been that long?" his voice was quiet.

Bouffant took another step towards him. "Well, at least three or four hours." She smiled, hoping he would smile, too. She'd always been a sucker for his dumb grin.

 

Bankjob turned to her. "It's good to see you again. Even though..." he didn't continue, and his eyes wandered to somewhere far off.

"Aw. You too, big guy." Bouffant squeezed his wrist tightly.

In silence, Bankjob debated for minute whether now was the time to ask the question he'd been dying to know. Yes...It had to be now. "Bouffant-"

           

"So, the girls and I were thinkin' you cut us in on your big plan you've got cookin'," Bouffant said, giving Bankjob a big smile.

Bankjob tensed. "'Scuse me?"

"Aw, come on," Bouffant urged, touching the corner of his mouth playfully. "You know you always need the extra hands. A place like that'll be covered in security." She put a hand on his shoulder and tickled down his back, her voice a sultry purr.

"No. Way." Bankjob snapped. He knew it'd been leading up to something like this.

 

But try as he might, Bankjob couldn't stop his pulse from accelerating. She was looking at him just how she used to, that look he couldn't resist. And that tight purple night t-shirt and short shorts she was wearing, they did things to him.

"...And then we'll be outta your hair for good!"

Bankjob looked at her unsteadily. "You know that's not what I want."

Bouffant's eyes softened. "Bank..."

Bankjob shook his head to clear his mind. Great, now he was gettin' all sentimental again. "Let me think on it for a while. 'Kay?"

 

That was enough for Bouffant. "You're the best," she purred, and leaned forward to plant a big kiss on his cheek. Her warm lips felt good against his skin, cold and freckled in small chunks of ice clinging to his stubble. Then she waved and ran back inside, a sincere smile on her face as she shut the door behind her.

 

"Have a nice talk?" Babydoll’s coarse voice surprised her, and she found her sister standing the doorway with her hands on her hips, cocking an eyebrow and loudly popping a piece of bubblegum.

 Bouffant's smile faded. "Fine."

 "So, are we in or not?"

Bouffant could feel her patience diminishing with her younger sister. Her bossing her around was one thing, but ruining what had been a nice moment was in bad taste.

"We'll see."

“Well, let’s hope so, for all our sakes,” Babydoll said desperately. “Because that’s our one ticket out of Duckburg, and to a new life!”

 

 


	6. Newflash

"I'm bushed!" Bankjob moaned some hours later, hobbling inside and collapsing onto the couch.

He didn't know how long he'd been out there in the snow, but at some point he just couldn't take it anymore. His whole body was sore, at least in the places he hadn't gone completely numb.

 And he still hadn't cleared it all.

 

Bugle and Babyface, forced by the weather into playing a game of gin rummy, looked up with concern.

"'Ey," muttered Bankjob, "You two think you can start dinner? Grab something from the cellar."

The sun was already starting to set, and he hadn't realized how hungry he was.

 

"Sure thing, Bankjob!" Babyface said, eager to put an end to this boring game of cards and even happier to accommodate his older brother. He jumped up and bounded down the musty basement steps to retrieve whatever he could find in the freezer.

"Ooh, did I hear the words 'dinner'?" Bouffant asked, peeking into the room the moment she heard Bankjob's voice. "What special cuisine have you got cookin' for us?"

Her hair looked freshly teased and sprayed, and she was wearing a warm set of creamy eyeshadow and lipstick. Clearly, she wanted to look good for this moment.

 

Bugle smirked as Babyface emerged out of the cellar carrying a pile of plastic-wrapped bowls.

"Only the house special of microwave mac and chicken tenders."

Bouffant's smile disappeared, and Babydoll came up behind her and scowled. "This place is worse than prison."

 

Bouffant rolled her eyes as she took a seat on the couch, watching the large Beagle Boy kneel to the floor and fiddle with the tv antennae. "You really are hopeless, Bank."

Finally, a fuzzy picture appeared on the screen, and Bankjob got to his feet with a sigh as he turned the knob over to the local news.

"Well, I'm not really the domestic type," he replied, reaching the table and stuffing as many of the kiddie meals into the microwave as he could fit.

 

"Ooh, they're talkin' about us!" Boom-Boom squealed, sitting next to Bouffant and pointing at the television.

The headline scrolled by in big letters: _BEAGLE BABES STILL AT LARGE_.

"What were you three even in for?" Bugle asked, walking over with his hands full of the bowls to pass out.

Bouffant and Boom-Boom quickly looked at each other and then towards their younger sister.

"We don't really like to talk about it."

"And it's none of your business!" snapped Babydoll, snatching the kiddie meal from Bugle's hands. Why was he so darn nosy?

Begrudgingly, she ripped off the steamed plastic wrap.

"Ugh."

 

On screen, the reporter was interviewing the prison warden in the familiar halls of Duckburg Penitentiary.

"So, word is the Beagle Babes escaped from our maximum security prison two days ago..."

"Now, who are the Beagle Babes, for those at home who don't know?" asked the reporter.

 

Watching from her spot on the arm of the couch, Babydoll's eyes almost shot out of her head.

 

"Eh, that's no surprise. You see, they're essentially the less successful rivals of the Beagle Boys."

 "Oh, well we all know _them_! Haha!"

 

"I've lost my appetite," muttered Babydoll darkly, crumbling the food tray in her hands.

 

"Oh, isn't this exciting?" Boom-Boom asked, as the news flashed to a different breaking story. "We're wanted women again! Do you think they might put out a _real_ reward for sightings of us this time?"

Bouffant gave a sarcastic chuckle. "They usually don't even bother to run us in the paper."

 

They hated to admit it, but until their most recent heist involving Scrooge's niece, the Beagle Babes had rarely ever gotten media coverage.

Babyface, who had been sitting without touching his food and sneaking timid looks back at Boom-Boom, spoke up. "Aw, I'll betcha they've got the whole police team out lookin' for ya!" he tried to reassure her in the best way he knew how.

 

"Let's hope not," Bankjob disagreed, mouth full as he wolfed down his food. "That'll just make our jobs a whole lot harder."

At this, Babydoll got to her feet and walked into the kitchen, dumping the uneaten food into the trash, her eyes set on Bankjob as she meandered over to the table he was sitting.

 

"Speaking of which..." she said, quietly so that only he could hear, "Have you considered letting us in on that little shindig?"

Bankjob's eyes narrowed. "What's it to you?" He'd desperately been hoping the three of them would have forgotten about it, but no such luck.

 

"Oh, nothing really," Babydoll said, giving him a bored look. "It's just _Bouffant_ seemed so excited about it..." She smirked a little as she saw the clear look of guilt glaze over the large Beagle Boy's eyes. "And you wouldn't want to disappoint her, would you?"

Bankjob made no response, but she could she'd set the gears in his head in motion. Oh, they were so predictable- this was almost _too_ easy!

 

Babydoll grinned and yawned loudly. "I'm clocking out. 'Night, everyone." With a shake of her curls, she vanished into the next room.

"I guess I'm pretty tired too," Boom-Boom said, getting up from the couch to stretch.

Babyface perked up. "Oh, uh...me and Bugle were gonna watch an old tv movie! D-do you wanna...?"

"Yeah, 'The Phantom Blot's Castle of Horror'!" Bugle grinned, switching the channel to a black-and-white public station.

"Oh, no," Bankjob said, getting up suddenly, crossing his arms and shaking his head at Babyface. "I'm not gonna have you springin' traps on me in the middle of the night 'cuz you think the boogeyman is out to get you!"

Babyface went a bright shade of red. " _Bankjob_!" he whined, pulling down on his ears and looking between Boom-Boom and Bouffant with embarrassment, "Shut up! You know that was only when I was a kid!"

 

Boom-Boom tried her best not to smile and looked away from Babyface's expectant gaze a little anxiously. Honestly, she was still a little embarrassed from earlier.

"Um...well, I'm really close to finishing my book," she said. "I'm dying to find out how it ends."

"Oh, sure. No problem!" Babyface said, trying to not look disappointed, but his face betraying him a little as she left.

 

"Aww, maybe you're the one who's scared, Bank," Bouffant winked. "Do you need me to hold your hand?"

"Uh, actually, I wanted to talk to you," Bankjob said, coming up behind the couch and giving her a serious look. "...Alone."

Babyface and Bugle looked up with interest. "Ohhhh..."

 

"That so? Well consider my curiosity piqued!" Bouffant smirked, trying to contain her thrill at such suggestive words.

She held out her hand and Bankjob leaned down, helping her up to her feet. "Well, go on, lead the way, handsome."

 

With her hand in his, Bankjob led her away into the other room, leaving his younger brothers staring after them, bubbling with curiosity.

 

 


	7. Rendezvous

The two older Beagles thumped down the basement steps in the dark, Bouffant squeezing Bankjob's hand tight so she wouldn't trip and fall.

 "You always bring company down here for kicks?" Bouffant asked a bit uneasily, brushing what must have been a cobweb out of her face.

 _Click!_ Bankjob pulled on the light and she blinked as her eyes accustomed to her surroundings. It wasn't any better than the rest of the house: a miserable, musty dump, completed with a freezer and shelves of junk.

 

"Well...I just figured it's where nobody would bother us," Bankjob said, now feeling completely stupid to have gone through all the trouble.

He pulled a glass bottle and corkscrew out of one of the cabinets. "Er, wine?"

"Huh! I'm impressed." Bouffant remarked with a smile, taking a murky looking glass he handed her and watching him fill it up with dark red liquid.

"Don't be," Bankjob chuckled, embarrassed. "Uh, it's literally from the corner store. Cheapest stuff we could steal...and the glasses too. But Ma took a liking to 'em. Liked to pretend they might us right fancy." He gave a wistful smile as he thought of her.

Bouffant took a sip and smacked her lips. "Mmm. Not bad." She looked up at him. "So, what were you itchin' to talk about?"

She was tempted to bring up the heist again, but decided it was best not to push it. Besides, she was genuinely curious where this was going.

 

"...Do...do you remember us back when?" Bankjob asked after a moment of silence.

"Are you reminiscing?" Bouffant asked, giving him a coy sideways glance and then putting her hand on his shoulder fondly. "Of course I do, Bank. Those were good times."

Bankjob smiled. "I missed you."

"Aww, I missed you too, ya big lug!" Bouffant replied, wrapping her arms around his burly body and relishing the squeeze of his stron arms.

Bankjob's pulse was quickening with Bouffant's embrace, and her breath tickled his flesh with every word. She was just close enough to kiss...

 

"Oh, get a load of all that tension in your shoulders," Bouffant pointed out gently as her hands traced over his muscles. She looked up into Bankjob's eyes and smiled, giving a flutter of her eyelashes. "Turn around."

"Oh, I'm ok-" Bankjob started, but Bouffant set down her glass and spun him around.

"Nonsense! How does this feel?" She began to knead her fingers into his back and shoulders with utmost care.

"Oh...ah!" Bankjob grunted in discomfort but then let out a moan of pleasure as she worked on him. He felt almost like a physical weight had been lifted.

 

"So what, have you got magic fingers or somethin'?" he asked, looking over his shoulder with a look of pure satisfaction on his face.

"Ha! I've just been practicing relaxation techniques in my free time. With my sisters and the season, can you blame me?" Bouffant grinned. "And you've been working hard to get us out of this frozen wasteland. It's the least I could do."

 

Rolling his shoulders, Bankjob turned back towards her. "Speaking of which... I s'pose if you three wanna come along with the boys and I on that jewel heist...well, we could always use some extra hands."

Bouffant's eyes widened in a look of joy.

"Really, Bank?!" She jumped up and pecked him on the cheek. "That's great! I'm not gonna lie, I've been going a little stir crazy!"

"Ok, ok, take it easy!" Bankjob said, grinning. "Whaddaya say we make a toast now?"

Bouffant picked up her glass and held it out.

"To all the Scrooges in the world!" Bankjob stated, his drink sloshing around a bit. “Without them, we’d have nobody to steal from!”

 

"Cheers!" Bouffant said.

And they clinked their glasses _._

xxx

Boom-Boom was outstretched on her bed with her book propped open on her chest. She was one chapter away from the end; just a few pages from that cliché happily ever after.

But tonight she just couldn't focus.

And it didn't help that Babydoll was in a talkative mood and wouldn't give her a moment to think.

 

"So, here's my idea. We hightail it to St. Cannard and pawn off the goods there." She made a thoughtful face, looking at an old map of the nearby cities in Calisota. "Hmm...though if the rumors are true, they've got a new vigilante superhero in town who's crackin' down on crime." Babydoll struck that off her list. "Well, there's always Spoonerville."

 

Boom-Boom closed her book and stood up restlessly. "I'm just going to get some water, sis."

Babydoll grunted as Boom-Boom walked out. She felt frustrated, because as proud as she was to be a bad guy, she didn't want to be _the_ bad guy. And she felt like her sisters were forcing her into that position.

It wasn't like she hated the Beagle Boys or anything. Heck, she was pretty much indifferent to them. Even that idiot Bugle wasn’t _all_ bad.

But as the situation had called for, they'd just become obstacles.

And Babydoll had to consider number one: her sisters.

"It's not like I won't leave anything behind to compensate them," Babydoll told herself, rolling her eyes and marking more places on the map. "With all the gigs they've got, this won't be no setback. They'll be bouncing back to their feet in no time. So there!"

xxx

Thoughts bubbling, Boom-Boom didn't realize until she was in the kitchen that she wasn't even thirsty.

The house was dark, apart from the lights bouncing off from the television in the next room.

Boom-Boom quietly tiptoed over and peeked inside the room, hoping to go unnoticed.

Babyface was sitting on the floor, propping his sleepy head up with one arm and flipping through channels with the other. The television was muted, and Boom-Boom noticed this must have been out of consideration for Bugle, who was sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly.

 

"The movie over already?" she said softly.

She wasn't sure why she spoke; she'd intended to go straight back to bed, but seeing him looking lonely had pulled at her heartstrings.

Jerking out of his hypnosis, Babyface looked around wildly and then his eyes fell on Boom-Boom.

 

The Beagle Babe was in a sleek pink gown, her hair a little mussed, and she had no trace of her typical makeup. He stared.

Boom-Boom noticed.

“Oh, gosh, I don't even have my lipstick on!" she said, covering her face with her hands, mortified.

"I think you look good either way!" Babyface blurted out, standing up. Better than good. Gorgeous. His face flushed and he looked down at the floor bashfully.

"Oh, stop! You're just saying that to make me blush!" Boom-Boom giggled, shying away and rubbing her arms self-consciously. Well, it'd certainly worked.

 

"Hey, Boom-Boom, are you cold?" Babyface asked, watching her carefully. "I can get you a sweater or something..."

"Oh!" Boom-Boom stopped her fidgeting and shook her head. "No, no, I'll be ok. I just don't like winter."

"Me neither!" Babyface said, smiling cheek to cheek. "I mean, aside from the holidays, but it's not like I've ever gotten anything in all the years I've hung up my stocking. Not that I still do, you know!" He added, catching himself just in time.

Boom-Boom chuckled. "We used to swipe little gifties for each other, simple things...but...we decided it just didn't seem right for the holiday spirit."

 

She guessed it seemed a bit silly, a criminal family having standards, especially when the world owed them nothing.

But it did give her a little bit of cheer every year.

"Well...that sounds like a good tradition to me!" Babyface affirmed. He'd never really thought about it that way..."And plus, the frostbite nipping at your fingers just makes pickpocketing in the cold impossible!"

Boom-Boom laughed.

 

"Hey, maybe when it warms up and the snow melts, we can all go to the carnival together?" Babyface suggested excitedly. "We can go on all the rides like the Duck Avenger, and get cotton candy...and I can win you a hat!"

He took off his beanie and held it out, beaming, flicking the propeller gadget so it spun.

Boom-Boom took a step towards him, hands clasped together and her lips curling affectionately. "...You always know how to make me smile, don't you?"

Babyface looked up into her eyes and gulped quietly. Suddenly it seemed too hot in here, and his heart was pounding so hard he was scared she would hear it.

 "Um...Boom-Boom, what I wanna say is..."

 

Oh, geez. His mouth had run dry. How had he been talking to her just seconds ago? He had no idea what to say to her, but he so desperately wanted to hold her hand.

 "Um, well, I..."

 

Boom-Boom's, having realized she'd been holding her breath, inhaled sharply and swiftly reached out to place her finger on his lips.

 She said the first thing she could think of.

 "Um, actually, do you think I can borrow that sweater? It's really kind of cold now that I think about it."

 

Babyface blinked, and then he smiled. "I can do better than that. I'll get you my favorite blanket!" He turned back to the couch and picked up the blanket he'd been snuggling up with the previous morning.

 "Then what will you have?" Boom-Boom asked as the Beagle Boy held out the scrappy stitched blanket towards her. "I couldn't-"

 

"Don't be silly," Babyface said. "My Ma made this, so it's super warm! And I have enough fluff around the middle to last all winter...well, BigTime says so, anyway." He shrugged, and she couldn’t help looking at the chubby beagle’s bare midriff and thinking how she’d love to give it a little kiss.

 "Thank you." She draped the blanket over her shoulders. He was so sweet...she didn't want to hurt him. "It's getting late... Maybe we should turn in for the night."

 "Um, yeah," agreed Babyface, completely thrown off from his earlier confession. But maybe it was better this way.

There was a pause, and for a moment the two stared at each other in silence, practically tortured by the tension.

At last, Boom-Boom raised her gaze from the floor to look Babyface directly in the eyes.

"Good night."

The words were soft, almost a whisper, but were like honey.

"Good night," Babyface replied quietly, his eyes locked on hers'. The sound of his heartbeat had completely filled his ears.

She gave him one last parting glance, and then with a last flutter of Ma's blanket, she vanished back into the dark kitchen with soft departing footsteps.

Babyface was still for a moment, watching after her into the nothingness, waiting for the pounding in his chest to subside. His face was burning up, mouth dry, and his stomach was in knots.

It was wonderful. 

Grinning, Babyface quietly hummed a tune and turned off the television, nestling into the armchair with a pillow. "I wanna girl, just like the girl, who married dear old dad..."

 


End file.
